The towns of Amherst, Clarence and Newstead, as well as the Villages of Williamsville and Akron are among the communities that rely on funding from the Consolidated Local Street and Highway Improvement Program, also known as CHIPS, to maintain and improve local roads, bridges and other infrastructure. Erie County also relies on CHIPS funding to help with improvements to the 2,400 lane miles the county owns, which makes Erie County responsible for significantly more miles of road than any other county in New York State. While the cost of materials to handle this maintenance has increased significantly over the past few years, the majority of New York State lawmakers, as well as Governor Kathy Hochul, have not increased funding for that program. I fully support the New York State Association of Town Superintendents of Highways in calling for the State Legislature to increase the CHIPS funding by $250 million.
In the Governor’s proposed 2026 fiscal year budget, significant funds are allocated to the State Department of Transportation and the Metro Transit Authority (MTA) for their capital program. Governor Hochul outlined significant investments in largely downstate programs and projects, while much of New York State saw no increase in the CHIPS allocation, which many communities see as an absolute necessity to maintaining or improving infrastructure, which takes a beating from the salting of roads and the inevitable freeze/thaw cycles that we experience.
While I was pleased that my colleagues in the Erie County Legislature voted 10-1 in favor of a resolution calling on Governor Hochul to increase the CHIPS funding, I was surprised that my colleague, Jeanne Vinal, voted in opposition to that resolution. The bipartisan group of our town highway superintendents have sent the message that they need this funding increased, and we need to listen to the experts, and send that message to Albany.
I am also troubled by a recent report regarding the use of a New York State suite at Highmark Stadium. Two-thousand taxpayer dollars were spent on alcohol and snacks while politicians enjoyed the perks of having this suite. Make no mistake, this suite should not be used by politicians as a personal benefit to enrich themselves and enjoy a day out at taxpayer expense. I recently introduced a resolution demanding clear guidelines be established on how that suite is used, once it comes under the control of Erie County with the new stadium. Community groups and local charities should benefit from this suite.
It was great to witness firsthand the good work that FeedMore WNY is doing in the community when I recently joined an amazing team at their warehouse as they worked to help those in need. Their food bank program distributes more than 17 million pounds of food yearly to nearly 300 pantries, soup kitchens, emergency shelters and hunger relief programs, as well as providing 1.4 million meals to our homebound neighbors.
I want to remind you that our Erie County Parks remain open throughout the year, and there are many winter activities to participate in before the snow is gone. Akron Falls and Ellicott Creek Parks have sledding hills. Akron Falls also has an ice rink, weather conditions permitting.
If you have a county related issue, contact my office at 716-858-8676 or email at Christopher.Greene@erie.gov.
Lastly, go Team USA!!
